One in three Americans suffers a seasonal cold at least once a year. The incidence rate is higher in school children, the elderly and immune-compromised individuals. Though considered common, a cold can have severe health repercussions. Colds occur more during the fall and winter seasons, and the influenza virus likes to make its annual visit sometime in the fall. The early symptoms of a common cold include general malaise, chills, stiff neck, stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, and headaches. As the condition progresses, fever, sore throat, cough, stomach disturbances, and diarrhea may occur. The flu, as a result of the mutating influenza virus, is a more severe form of the common cold. It displays most of the same symptoms, though with more intensity and with the addition of rapidly rising fever, body aches, and vomiting.

Chinese medicine classifies the common cold as a wind pathogen that invades from the exterior. Wind cold is differentiated from wind heat, based on the finer differences between a cold and the flu. Wind cold usually occurs during seasonal changes and as a result of exposure to drafts, or even excessive exposure to air-conditioning. At this early stage, Chinese medicine suggests that perspiration is helpful in removing the pathogen from the skin. Common warming foods are used for this. Wind heat, in contrast, is characterized by high fever, sweating, sore throat, cough, headaches, and a yellow nasal discharge. It requires herbal prescriptions to clear the pathogen and relieve the symptoms. Acupuncture is widely used to treat the common cold, and there are many time-tested herbal formulations for upper respiratory infections.

Our Recommendations
If you get cold easly should have acupouncture, and/or some chinese herbs to increase you immune system so that you will not get cold or flu easly anymore, specially for young children or seniors.

If you just catch a cold or flu you should take sone herbs, so the the cold or flu may not develop further and the symptgoms are relieved and elimited quickly.

If you just get a cold or flu and have sore throat and higt, acupuncture can get rid of them in 1-2 treatments.

If you have had cold and flu for a while, most symptoms are gone, but you have constant anoying cough with or withour sputum,. This could last sevel months, You should use acuoucnture, cuping with/or herbs to eliminate the phlegm and cough.